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Thin line between a TD and a FG...

Ravens 1st down run from the 5. Notice how this play could have turned out very differently if Yanda can release a split second faster and gets his right shoulder across the LBs right shoulder first...

Yanda briefly chips the DT, then lets go and heads for 50... Oher has the NT occupied, more or less... If Yanda can cross 50's right shoulder and stuff him, he'll also shield the safety a little bit and give Rice a lane to (hopefully) run straight and hard through...Rush2.jpg

Yanda doesn't get across the DT and loses leverage. The DT flashes to Rice that the hole isn't there, so he hesitates (not surprising these days) and tries to cut back inside. Imagine the lane if Yanda manages to seal off the LB just two feet to (your) left. If that happens, you have Rice running hard vs. a DB more or less flat-footed around the goal line. Not guaranteed, but I like the odds there.Rush3.jpg

By this last shot, Rice has turned back in to traffic, Oher not exactly dominating his man either, and the play is dead... at least in terms of a TD...Rush4.jpg

I think if Yanda just gets across the LB a fraction of a second sooner... Rice has a nice lane to sprint through for the goal line. This assumes Rice would have continued that way without slowing down, which is questionable these days too. Also notice how the much-maligned Gino (who screwed up the snap a couple plays later) schmeers his man and does exactly what you want on that play. Everybody seals the running lane except Marshal, and that kills the play.

Re: Thin line between a TD and a FG...

Originally Posted by lowrider

"Thin line" is the story of our season. Of our 6 losses 5 was by a margin of 6 points or less. 5 of those we lost by 3 or less.

It has been the game of inches we used to win in the past.
An interception that is dropped to put the game away or turn the tide.
Getting those 2 extra yards to get the TD instead of settling for the FG and OT...then the loss.
Momentum is huge in the NFL. So is confidence. We are losing both on a consistent basis.
Just missing the block that springs someone free...or just missing the tackle that gets the defense off the field...or hitting hard enough to jar the ball loose...or reading a play before the snap giving our defense a step up...or snapping the ball into the mud...or making the wrong blocking assignment call at the line...or our blitzer moving up to the line of scrimmage too soon before the snap to give himself away to give the QB time to adjust the play call...or Joe throwing to his TE who has the ball bounce out of his hands and to a defender...or our defender bouncing the ball up for a hail mary connection to force OT.

So many things are adding up to give away those inches we won in the past.
Look at last season...how many inches were clawed for and won to JUST scratch out a win...to just win the division...to just lead into that great run? 4th and 29...really? No Boldin, no first down, no come from behind win. Dallas missing a field goal for a win...Ravens getting a field goal to beat the Pats, here.

Re: Thin line between a TD and a FG...

If Yanda doesn't chip the play is blown up even quicker based on the pre-snap alignment. The chip was the only thing that kept that DL from slicing inside. As for how fast one can be expected to release and continue, I am not sure the snapshots, where we don't know the amount of time between each, answer that question.

Rice, imo, should have been running full bore at the gaping hole that #50 was moving towards, intent on hammering him and chancing the fact #50 wouldn't be able to hit him square-on enough to prevent both of them from moving into the endzone. Then again #21 was there as well, so perhaps that would have been as futile as trying the cutback there, who knows.

But yes, it would have been nice had Yanda had been faster or had the time to block #50 earlier.

Re: Thin line between a TD and a FG...

Originally Posted by Ravens2006

Ravens 1st down run from the 5. Notice how this play could have turned out very differently if Yanda can release a split second faster and gets his right shoulder across the LBs right shoulder first...

Yanda briefly chips the DT, then lets go and heads for 50... Oher has the NT occupied, more or less... If Yanda can cross 50's right shoulder and stuff him, he'll also shield the safety a little bit and give Rice a lane to (hopefully) run straight and hard through...Rush2.jpg

Yanda doesn't get across the DT and loses leverage. The DT flashes to Rice that the hole isn't there, so he hesitates (not surprising these days) and tries to cut back inside. Imagine the lane if Yanda manages to seal off the LB just two feet to (your) left. If that happens, you have Rice running hard vs. a DB more or less flat-footed around the goal line. Not guaranteed, but I like the odds there.Rush3.jpg

By this last shot, Rice has turned back in to traffic, Oher not exactly dominating his man either, and the play is dead... at least in terms of a TD...Rush4.jpg

I think if Yanda just gets across the LB a fraction of a second sooner... Rice has a nice lane to sprint through for the goal line. This assumes Rice would have continued that way without slowing down, which is questionable these days too. Also notice how the much-maligned Gino (who screwed up the snap a couple plays later) schmeers his man and does exactly what you want on that play. Everybody seals the running lane except Marshal, and that kills the play.

Honestly, when I look back at those 4 pics, the first thing I thought was, Ray could have made the cut off of Oher's butt like he should have once he saw the backer moving right into the hole which is obviously the backer's responsibility when you just look at the defense's alignment. Ray would have had one guy to beat to the endzone. Could he have done it? I don't know.

The other thing is, Yanda has to rub that guy until Oher can get him...or he would stop the play in the backfield for a loss, anyway. There is no way Yanda can get ahead of the backer who starts moving laterally that way from the snap.

Re: Thin line between a TD and a FG...

Originally Posted by Haloti92

If Yanda doesn't chip the play is blown up even quicker based on the pre-snap alignment. The chip was the only thing that kept that DL from slicing inside. As for how fast one can be expected to release and continue, I am not sure the snapshots, where we don't know the amount of time between each, answer that question.

Rice, imo, should have been running full bore at the gaping hole that #50 was moving towards, intent on hammering him and chancing the fact #50 wouldn't be able to hit him square-on enough to prevent both of them from moving into the endzone. Then again #21 was there as well, so perhaps that would have been as futile as trying the cutback there, who knows.

But yes, it would have been nice had Yanda had been faster or had the time to block #50 earlier.

Re: Thin line between a TD and a FG...

Originally Posted by Ravens44

So many things are adding up to give away those inches we won in the past.
Look at last season...how many inches were clawed for and won to JUST scratch out a win...to just win the division...to just lead into that great run? 4th and 29...really? No Boldin, no first down, no come from behind win. Dallas missing a field goal for a win...Ravens getting a field goal to beat the Pats, here.

IMO the roster turnover and injuries have made the difference. We have allot of young talent on this team, but they're just not quite there yet. The offense has suffered the most.